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South China Morning Post
27-04-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Record tourist numbers flock to Champions Day, but star filly's death mutes celebrations
Punters cheer the start of the Group One QE II Cup (2,000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. Photos: Kenneth Chan A record number of tourists flocked to Sha Tin for FWD Champions Day on Sunday, with Jockey Club chief Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges hailing the event a success despite the death of superstar Japanese filly Liberty Island. Crowd numbers were up 37.5 per cent year on year, the club said. Fans, meanwhile, wagered north of HK$1.5 billion, which was 3.34 per cent down on 12 months ago, a dip the CEO attributed somewhat to the absence of local star Romantic Warrior. And while the club celebrated following such a big event, they were muted after Liberty Island broke down in the Group One QE II Cup (2,000m). The five-year-old suffered a leg injury in the feature and had to be euthanised. 'We normally celebrate with champagne but I feel today in honour of the tremendous filly that this is not the right thing to do. I'm really sad about that but unfortunately this is part of racing,' Engelbrecht-Bresges said. 'I want to really honour a filly like Liberty Island, who was one of the great race fillies.' Among a bustling crowd of 41,943 at Sha Tin were nearly 10,000 tourists, with the club's collaboration with the China Travel Service and a pilot of a soon-to-be-launched tour initiative for high-end visitors contributing to the numbers. There was also a 12-strong group from Australia travelling with Ontrack Racing Tours, with the Jockey Club estimating each person would inject HK$70,000 into the Hong Kong economy. 'We had a record for Champions Day of 8,244 mainland visitors and we had nearly 1,100 overseas visitors coming,' Engelbrecht-Bresges said, adding there had been a 'targeted test where we had 200 high-net-worth people from Japan'. Engelbrecht-Bresges said while the tests were 'not the full monty', the club hoped to roll the initiative out in collaboration with the Hong Kong Tourism Board in the next few weeks. 'Then we have the collaboration with the China Travel Group, who were responsible for a lot of people here today, and that will go even further,' the CEO said. Engelbrecht-Bresges was full of praise for the HKJC team's 'terrific effort to put a marvellous event on' even without Romantic Warrior running in the QE II Cup, which he said was a difference of around HK$40 million in betting terms. 'I think today's race meeting had a tremendous atmosphere and we saw tremendous performances on the track,' Engelbrecht-Bresges said. 'The feedback we got from everybody was that this was a really successful meeting. We dialled up the entertainment and it was a tremendous atmosphere.' HE DOES IT AGAIN! 🚀 Ka Ying Rising makes it 12 straight wins, four Group 1s and a HK$5 million Speed Series bonus with victory in the 2025 Chairman's Sprint Prize... @zpurton #FWDChampionsDay | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) April 27, 2025 On the track, Ka Ying Rising was the star attraction with his victory in the Group One Chairman's Sprint Prize (1,200m), while rank outsider Red Lion also did the locals proud in the Group One Champions Mile and Tastiera flew the flag for Japan by taking out the Group One QE II Cup (2,000m). 'Today there was one performance which was completely dominant and we are very glad we have, I would humbly say, by far the best sprinter in the world. He showed how good he is and that created a tremendous atmosphere,' Engelbrecht-Bresges said of Ka Ying Rising. 'We feel that Hong Kong racing is going, despite significant geopolitical and economic issues, from strength to strength. 'We look forward to even more horses coming to Hong Kong to make this day even bigger than it is currently, even if I would say it is the biggest [Champions Day] that we have had for a long period of time and we see it as a success.'
South China Morning Post
22-04-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
New Zealand star El Vencedor on track for Group One QE II Cup after overcoming hoof abscess
Trainer Stephen Marsh believes Kiwi galloper's preparation for Champions Day has not been impacted by a minor setback New Zealand trainer Stephen Marsh is confident El Vencedor has shrugged off a hoof abscess and will be at his peak for Sunday's Group One QE II Cup (2,000m) at Sha Tin. The four-time Group One winner was restricted to light work in the quarantine trotting ring from last Friday to Monday after undergoing treatment for lameness in his left hind leg. Bronte Forbes, the Jockey Club's Head of the Department of Veterinary Regulation, Welfare and Biosecurity, inspected El Vencedor on Monday and cleared him to complete trackwork on Tuesday morning. The six-year-old did some light work on the all-weather track, pleasing his handler ahead of his tilt at Sunday's HK$28 million feature. That is really special. What a last 200m! But he's electric and it's the big EV with the big motor fought and fought. In honour of Big Red, El Vencedor wins the Bonecrusher Stakes from @Ellerslie_Races. Ridden by Wiremu Pinn, and it's back to back Group 1s for @marshracing — Trackside NZ (@TracksideNZ) March 8, 2025 'Very happy with him,' Marsh said after watching El Vencedor's work on Tuesday. 'He just had a little minor abscess in a hind foot, but he's been working in the quarantine sand and he's out on the track today moving beautifully and freely. 'It took a bit to get past the big screens – I don't think he'd seen himself on a big screen before, but he's great. He'll gallop on Thursday, Zac [Purton] will ride him on the turf and I think we're right on track.' El Vencedor brings career-best form to Hong Kong with four consecutive wins, including three at Group One level – the Herbie Dyke Stakes (2,000m), Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1,600m) and Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2,000m). The big EV with the big motor. in the Gr.1 @SportNationNZ Otaki-Maori WFA Classic from @ellerslie, it is El Vencedor who wins it! Ridden by Wiremu Pinn and trained by @marshracing What a race. What a horse. That's simply special. Proud he'll be representing NZ in Hong Kong 🇳🇿🇭🇰 — Trackside NZ (@TracksideNZ) February 22, 2025 While he faces a tough task against fellow internationals such as French star Goliath and Japan's Liberty Island and Prognosis, El Vencedor has the advantage of being ridden by seven-time champion Hong Kong jockey Zac Purton. 'He's the King of Hong Kong, you'd say, and it's brilliant to have him on,' Marsh said of Purton. 'One of the owners' friends is good friends with Zac, so they got in touch with him early on and he was more than happy to take the ride a fair way out. 'He'd done the form on the horse and felt he might be the right kind of horse to ride, so it's great when he's got confidence in you.' Chasing his second QE II Cup success after booting home Exultant in 2020, Purton is optimistic El Vencedor can bring his hot form to Hong Kong. 'He's been racing really well, very consistently at a high level going left and right-handed and he can handle different types of ground, so he's versatile,' Purton said. 'Hopefully he can draw a nice gate and roll forward and if he has to lead, he leads. If something else wants to go, he's able to take a sit. It's nice to pick him up, I'm happy to be on him and to give him a chance.' El Vencedor will be the first international runner for 44-year-old Marsh, who has prepared more than 1,000 winners and is the son of Bruce Marsh, a Melbourne Cup-winning jockey and successful Singapore-based trainer.
